


Caving In

by CaseyStar



Series: Merthur Party 2013 [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-24
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 22:51:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1099513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaseyStar/pseuds/CaseyStar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin's been Arthur's servant for several months, and his feelings towards the prat are becoming more complicated</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caving In

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt Two - The Prat and The Idiot
> 
> Over on tumblr [ kcsplace](http://kcsplace.tumblr.com), so come say hello here if you want.

“This isn’t my fault.”

Merlin scoffed and turned himself further away from Arthur, though there wasn’t anywhere else to go.

“Ah Merlin, fetch the crossbow, I feel like a spot of hunting,” Merlin mimicked in grating falsetto, tugging his damp jacket around him more tightly. Were it not for the idiot sitting two feet away he’d be able to use his magic to warm himself and dry his clothes. Were it not for the idiot sitting two feet away he wouldn’t have been dragged out into an oncoming storm and not _need_ to furtively dry himself via magic.  
It hadn’t been until several weeks into Merlin’s time as Arthur’s servant that he’d noticed. How Arthur appeared to have no friends, nobody to talk to, nobody to learn how a friendship worked. Certainly nobody to keep him in check. 

The only person he really had was Merlin.

However, any sympathy for Arthur was somewhat tempered at this moment by how Merlin was currently freezing, huddled against the back wall of a shallow cave, watching the sheets of rain pour down outside, stuck with an idiot who seemed to think heavy dark clouds meant the weather was perfect for hunting. 

“If you so much as say I to-” Arthur started from his position seated next to Merlin, flicking idly at the mud on his boots.

“I wasn’t goin-”

“Yes you were.” Arthur stretched his legs out, idly reaching over to wipe his dirtied hand across the hem of Merlin’s tunic.

“Hey!” Merlin smacked Arthur’s hand away, the Prince shrugging at what, even a few weeks ago, he’d have sent Merlin to the stocks for. “I was going to say that if you’d listened to me-”

“That’s the same as ‘I told you so.’” Merlin’s huff was barely audible over the downpour but Arthur glowered at Merlin’s back regardless, gaze lingering on his exposed nape, at how the red of the neckerchief stark against pale skin, before he tore his eyes away, staring out the mouth of the cave.

In the months since he’d arrived in Camelot, Merlin had slowly begun to see the strong man hidden within the boyish lout he was stuck with according to destiny. He’d begun to see the loneliness and seclusion that came with being the Prince. 

“It’s your fault anyway; we could have been back at the castle now if you hadn’t scared away every piece of game for five miles.”

“Maybe if you could shoot straight-” Merlin’s flinched at Arthur’s raucous guffaw, peering over his shoulder at the long line of Arthur’s throat, the curl of his damp hair behind his ear and smiling despite himself to see how joyful the other man seemed. Arthur was relaxed out here, in a way he never was back in the castle under his father’s watchful gaze.

Merlin knew how he felt.

“My aim is not the problem,” Arthur stated, eyes lit up with mirth as he leant over to shove Merlin’s shoulder sending the smaller man sprawling.  
Like this, with the stress of living up to his father’s expectations, free from the need to show-off in front of the other knights, Arthur was beautiful. Still a bit of a prat, but beautiful.

“Then why drag me along? I hate it, you hate it, the animals-”

“Love it, because you act as an early warning system.” Arthur wasn’t anywhere near as irritated as he tried to sound, smile wide and open as he reached out to hook his arm around Merlin’s neck, dragging his servant closer, enjoying his proximity though unwilling to consider why, rubbing his knuckles into Merlin’s scalp as an excuse to hold the squirming man closer.

“Hey, stop, no,” Merlin cried, writhing against Arthur, struggling to break the hold and it wasn’t long until they were wrestling on the floor of the tiny cave, laughter and grunts of pain floating into the stormy sky, whipped away with the wind.

Grasping Merlin’s wrists and pinning them above his head, Arthur was able to sprawl across his slim body, using his own muscular bulk to hold Merlin down, ignoring the flash of heat that shivered ddown his spine at the feel of Merlin's body beneath him, at how, even now, Merlin bucked against him, beaten but unbowed.

“Now, admit it was your fault and I’ll let you up.” Arthur was laughing, his chest heaving with effort, eyes wide and bright, and Merlin thought his cheeks must hurt from the width of his smile.

An unfamiliar warmth pooled low in Merlin’s stomach, his chest constricting a little. There was nobody here but them, and this irritable, arrogant, compassionate idiot was happy. 

He made Arthur happy.

And that made him happy.

This was going to complicate matters.


End file.
